Support groups received €860,000 from HSE in 2011

BACKGROUND:TRANSFUSION POSITIVE and Positive Action are support groups for people infected with hepatitis C from contaminated blood products.

The organisations received about €860,000 between them in funding from the Health Service Executive last year. Earlier this year, the HSE placed restrictions on how its funding could be spent, pending the signing of a service level agreement.

The HSE said as part of the normal funding and service level agreement process, and to ensure appropriate governance and accountability regarding the expenditure of public funds, it had sought further information relating to expenditure by these organisations in 2010 and 2011.

It said it had to ensure funding provided to organisations was spent “for the purposes intended and that there is appropriate governance, probity and transparency in relation to all funded groups”.

The HSE said it had advised both groups to submit funding applications with stipulated detail on proposed spending for 2012.

It said it had advised both groups that interim funding to cover fixed costs (such as rent, utility bills, service charges and so on) was available. It added it advised the groups that no liability for expenditure relating to discretionary spend could be accepted by the HSE until funding arrangements for 2012 were agreed.

Towards the end of February the HSE said it would provide interim funding of €17,000 to the Transfusion Positive organisation to offset the costs of running its annual general meeting in March.

It said in a letter to the organisation that the interim funding would be provided “on the basis that there was an assurance . . . that the costs incurred in running the agm are wholly appropriate, necessary and demonstrate value for money”.

About 1,000 women in Ireland were infected with hepatitis C from contaminated Anti-D immunoglobulin produced by the Irish Blood Transfusion Service Board between 1977 and 1991.

A total of 67 members of Positive Action who received the contaminated blood product have died.

More than 260 haemophiliacs in the State were infected with hepatitis C between the mid-1970s and 1990.

The State established a compensation scheme for people who were infected with hepatitis C from contaminated blood products. The tribunal has so far made payments to about 3,000 claimants, including non-infected next of kin, at a cost of more than €1 billion. The Government’s comprehensive spending review last year reported the final bill for the tribunal could run to €2.23 billion.